Precisely. Echo Park resident Martin Cox, who is a fine-arts and commercial photographer, will put his beautiful English accent to work in a discussion of his art and his craft at a lunchtime talk:

Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library to: THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE: Program VI: Martin Cox. A series of discussions with contemporary Los Angeles photographers.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008; 12:15pm - 1:15pm; Central Library; 630 West Fifth Street; Downtown Los Angeles; Meeting Room A (adjacent to the 5th Street Entrance)

It's a brown bag affair, as in bring your own lunch. You may be familiar with some of Martin's journalistic work as well -- he is mad for birds and for Echo Park Lake, mad enough to contribute images of avian life and the water to Chicken Corner on occasion.

Photo by Martin Cox, 2008 (c)

Speaking of pictures, Highland Park's Avenue 50 Studio will be showing some, in "Silent Testimonies," a group exhibition of contemporary ex votos. There will be some Echo Park artists in the mix, Katrina Alexy, for one. Reception is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, 323-258-1435.

Sergio Vasquez (c)